This invention relates to medical devices to be used in first aid emergency situations for immobilizing and carrying the traumatized and/or injured persons.
The invention refers particularly to a safety connecting and hooking device for tubular elements, particularly for scoop stretcher to pick up the patients laying on the ground without any risk of more possible trauma.
The known scoop stretchers essentially comprise two half-stretchers detachably connected near to their ends by means of articulated hooking devices.
The know hooking devices essentially comprise a female part, including a xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped seat transversally crossed in a substantially central position by a hooking pivot, and a male part with a bracket which is complementarily inserted into the xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped seat. The head of the bracket is provided with a notch fit for partially housing the pivot pin and fit to be closed as eyelet by a hook member co-operating therewith in order to xe2x80x9chookxe2x80x9d the pivot pin. This hook member is pivotally connected to the bracket and is kept in the eyelet-closure condition by a return spring.
The main drawback of the known connection and coupling devices for stretchers is that they can be accidentally opened, with very serious consequence for the supported patient, for example, when the stretcher is handled by the operators particularly in narrow environments (ditch, inside the vehicles, etc.) or in situations hurried up by the emergency and quickness of the action.
The main object of the present invention is to propose a device having safety means to prevent the opening and then the accidental unhooking of the device.
Further object is to propose a device which can be simply and easily made, installed and maintained.